Anish Bhanwala: India’s youngest ever CWG gold medalist

In teenage years every kid has probably just one goal to excel in their studies and get marks and get into a good and reputed college. They spend their Evenings playing video games or surfing the internet or hanging out with friends. Though there are some who have a different passion for sports.

School going sports persons life is no less than that of a superhero, juggling two things at a time that are equally important for them studies and sports, one being education and one being there passion. They have to skip exams or classes to participate in competitions, have to follow a strict and proper schedule which can balance their sports as well as their studies so that none of the things is overlooked. They have only one dream that is to bring glory to the motherland in any way possible.

One such boy has fulfilled his dream of bringing glory to the motherland at a young age of 15 that too by winning a gold medal in his debut performance at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol event held on the 13th of April 2018 and also by establishing a commonwealth games record score of 30 points along with four series of 5 each. He bettered the record set by another Indian teenager – Manu Bhaker (aged 16) – another shooter, who won the 10m Air Pistol final last week.

Born on 26th September 2002 in Kasandi village in Gohana Tehsil, Sonipat, Haryana. His passion for shooting came while participating in modern pentathlon events. He has represented the country at U-12 modern pentathlon World Championships in 2013 and Asian modern pentathlon Championships in 2015. Shooting was his favourite among the five sports of modern pentathlon. Despite having no family background in sport, he had the full support of his parents…And, this shooting superpower his sibling, Muskan, also possesses. Their father Jagpal, an advocate in Karnal, gave up his practice and moved to Delhi about three years ago to ensure his children have the best facilities to practice.

“Senior shooters saw them at the trials in Kerala in 2015 and were very impressed. They said Anish could do well in the future internationally because he has world-class technique. I enrolled them in shooting training and after that, I am totally focused, 24-hours on the kids,” Jagpal told The Field last September.

According to a report by The Field, he struggled to even make it to the CWG because his Standard X exams were clashing. In March, Anish took part in the ISSF World Cup in Mexico and the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney. Following that, he was to depart to Gold Coast for the CWG. With no options for giving re-exams, Anish was allowed to miss a couple of papers, starting from March 5, and take the exams over two stints, only after getting a letter of recommendation from the National Rifle Association of India and an application from his school, St Theresa’s Convent in Karnal.

Anish Bhanwala was always a good student but had to sacrifice grades at times in his quest for excellence at the shooting range. However, it’s another number that is associated with him – 579, the junior world record in the 25m standard pistol – that makes Anish stand out. At the age of 15, he is among the youngest competitors at junior events, which are mainly for Under-21 shooters.

He is currently under training with coach Jaspal Rana in Delhi.

Medals won

In ISSF Junior World Championship 2017, Suhl, Anish won two gold, two silver and one bronze for India.

In 2017 Commonwealth Shooting Championships he won silver in 25m Rapid Fire Men.

In ISSF Junior World Cup 2018, Sydney he won one individual gold and one team silver in 25m Rapid Fire Junior Men.

He was awarded the Mahindra Scorpio TOISA 2018 award for EMERGING PLAYER OF THE YEAR.

His ambition is to win an Olympic gold for his country.

His heroes are Commonwealth Games gold medallist and neighbour Harpreet SINGH (IND), and Olympic medallist Vijay KUMAR (IND). “I train with them.” he said in an interview

In 1998, a 15-year-old Abhinav Bindra had become India’s ever youngest participant at the CWG. Twenty years later, Anish Bhanwala has become the country’s youngest ever gold-medalist. The future of Indian shooting looks promising!

Congratulations! To Anish for bringing glory to the country.

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About The Author

Hailing from Ambala Haryana, Sakshi is a 22-year-young girl, pursuing her masters. She is a 4-year-old trapped in an adult’s body. She found herself writing almost 3 years ago and likes reading any type of book with which she can connect. Somewhat crazy, she finds her true self around the people she is closest to.
Though an introvert and procrastinator her mantra for life is “live life in such way that you start finding happiness in even the smallest things”